The little booth capturing a lot of attention at Ala Moana Center’s Makai Market Food Court belongs to MyungRang Hotdog Hawaii, which brings the popular South Korean street dog to the islands.

A video at the stand shows people pulling ropes of mozzarella from the hot dog with their teeth. Yup, if you want diners’ attention, that’s what it takes, and so many Americans tend to be infatuated by all manner of food on a stick.

The difference between this dog and the American version of a corn dog is the rice-flour batter that gives a crunchy, chewy texture to the outer shell, without the gluten.

The basic hot dog is $3.50; the dog plus mozzarella is $4.50. You can also replace the dog with rice cake ($4.50) or opt for a mozzarella center only ($4.50). My favorite, and most eye-catching, is the potato hotdog ($5.50), still with a hot dog at the center, but with the rice-flour sheath studded with diced potato. For $1 more, you can get mozzarella and cheddar added.

Unfortunately, when I tried it, it had been dredged in sugar, an option that my order taker had not mentioned. The effect is similar to eating a malassada with a hot dog in it. Some people will probably think that sounds delicious, but I couldn’t stomach the sweetness with all the savory aspects going on. It was over the top, yet the hot dog itself was plain. I was hoping for some Korean spice.

In the motherland, people flock to night-market shops that stay open until 4 a.m., and need quick sustenance to continue their hunt. So the concept makes perfect sense in this mall setting, where shoppers may be looking for a quick carb-and-protein infusion to give them strength to carry on before they can sit down for regular meal.